Ravenglass Conservation Area
Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plan
February 2013
Lake District National Park Authority: Ravenglass Conservation Area Appraisal & Management Plan
The Ordnance Survey Mapping included in this document is provided by the LDNPA under
licence from the Ordnance Survey in order to make available townscape appraisal information.
Persons viewing the mapping should contact Ordnance Survey copyright for advice where they
wish to licence Ordnance Survey mapping for their own use.
© Crown Copyright All Rights Reserved LDNPA 100021698 2008
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Lake District National Park Authority: Ravenglass Conservation Area Appraisal & Management Plan
RAVENGLASS CONSERVATION AREA APPRAISAL AND MANAGEMENT PLAN
Part 1 CONSERVATION AREA CHARACTER APPRAISAL
Summary of special interest
1
Introduction
2
Location and setting
 Location
 Boundary
 Topography and landscape setting
 Geology
 Archaeology
3
The historical development of the hamlet
4
The character and appearance of the conservation area
 Street pattern and building plots
 Townscape analysis – character areas
 1. Medieval core (Main Street)
 2. Mid/late19th century development (east of the mainline railway)
 Focal points, views and vistas
 Current activities and uses
 Open spaces, landscape and trees
 Public realm
5
The buildings of the conservation area
 Architectural styles, materials and detailing
 Listed buildings
 Significant unlisted buildings
6
Negative features and issues
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Lake District National Park Authority: Ravenglass Conservation Area Appraisal & Management Plan
Part 2 RAVENGLASS CONSERVATION AREA MANAGEMENT PLAN
1
INTRODUCTION
1.1
Aims of the management plan
1.2
The benefits of designation
1.3
Legislative background
1.4
Public consultation
1.5
Designation and extension
1.6
Effects of designation
1.7
Listed Buildings
1.8
Significant Unlisted Buildings
1.9
Enhancing and protecting the local character and features
1.10
Trees
1.11
Enhancing and protecting views and the setting of the conservation area
1.12
Enhancement through new development, alterations and extensions
1.13
Retaining and enhancing boundary walls and road surfaces
2
MONITORING AND REVIEW
2.1
Boundary review
2.2
Document review
Part 3 BIBLIOGRAPHY
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Lake District National Park Authority: Ravenglass Conservation Area Appraisal & Management Plan
Summary of special interest
The special interest that justifies designation of the Ravenglass Conservation Area
derives from the following features:
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Distinctive estuarine setting nestled at the confluence of the Rivers Esk, Mite and Irt;
Sea-side location between the Irish sea and the Lakeland fells;
Medieval street pattern of main street with side lanes to ancient field system and the
shore;
Historic layout of medieval market place comprising open space enclosed by
buildings with narrow pinchpoints at either end to restrain animals or for defensive
purposes;
The prevalent use of local building stone for walls and roofs, notably local
cobblestone, sandstone, slate and granite, reflecting the underlying geology of the
area;
Common use of roughcast render;
Almost all buildings have architectural and historic interest, including two listed
buildings (Pennington House and The Bay Horse) and many others which make a
positive contribution to the area’s historic character and appearance;
Good examples of 18th and early 19th century provincial dwellings together with a
few vernacular farm buildings;
Characteristic Victorian dwellings (e.g. Wells Cottages) and municipal buildings (e.g.
Parish Hall) built in the Arts and Crafts style;
Stone-built mid/late 19th century railway buildings, notably goods and engine sheds,
stations and signal box, associated with both the Whitehaven and Furness Junction
Railway and the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway;
Buildings developed by the Muncaster Estate at the turn of the 19th century, e.g.
Parish Hall and adjoining buildings, Clifton Terrace, Wells Cottages;
Seaward views across the estuary from the edge of the conservation area which
give the area a strong maritime feel;
Trees and greenery that soften the streetscene, most notably beside the approach
road before the mainline railway bridge;
The Green, a public open space overlooking the estuary, and Millennium Garden, a
small square with seating and pebble mosaic both of which are registered Village
Greens;
Small items that add to Ravenglass’s local identity and recognisable sense of place,
e.g. datestones, GR post box, cobbled surfaces.
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Lake District National Park Authority: Ravenglass Conservation Area Appraisal & Management Plan
1
Introduction
Ravenglass Conservation Area includes the historic medieval core and an area of late
19th century development of the village of Ravenglass on the west coast of Cumbria. It
is one of 21 designated conservation areas in the Lake District National Park.
In brief, the special architectural and historic character of Ravenglass Conservation Area
derives from its very pleasant historic village street of mainly 18th century and early 19th
century buildings (two of which are grade II listed) together with adjoining developments
associated with the coming of railways, mainline and narrow-gauge, in the second half of
the 19th century. The village has a fine estuarine location at the confluence of the Rivers
Mite, Irt and Esk.
The special historic character and appearance of the village reflects its former role as a
port, market place and railway junction.
The miniature Ravenglass and Eskdale
Railway is a major attraction. The village retains a simple form with a continuous street
frontage and intimate grouping of houses. This give a visual unity of style and character
to the village as well as being functional in providing shelter in this exposed coastal
position.
Fig 1 Sea wall that forms part of Ravenglass
flood defences at The Green.
Fig 2 The Parish Hall was built at the expense
of Lord Muncaster in 1878.
The Ravenglass Conservation Area was designated on 7 April 1981 by the Lake District
National Park Authority and re-designated on 22 May 2001, at which time the boundary
was extended beyond Main Street to include railway-associated buildings and late 19th
century houses (Railway Terrace, Wells Cottages) on the east side of the mainline
railway. Conservation areas are designated under the provisions of Section 69 of the
Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990. A conservation area is
defined as ‘an area of special architectural or historic interest the character or
appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance’.
Section 71 of the same Act requires local planning authorities to formulate and publish
proposals for the preservation and enhancement of these conservation areas. Section
72 also specifies that, in making a decision on an application for development within a
conservation area, special attention must be paid to the desirability of preserving or
enhancing the character or appearance of that area.
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Lake District National Park Authority: Ravenglass Conservation Area Appraisal & Management Plan
In response to these statutory requirements, this document defines and records the
special architectural and historic interest of the conservation area and identifies
opportunities for enhancement. These features are noted, described and marked on the
Townscape Appraisal Map, along with written commentary on how they contribute to the
special interest of the conservation area. While the descriptions go into some detail, a
reader should not assume that the omission of any characteristic, such as a building,
view or open space, from this Appraisal means that it is not of interest.
The document conforms with English Heritage guidance as set out in Understanding
Place: Conservation Area Designation, Appraisal and Management (March 2011).
Additional government guidance regarding the management of historic assets and
conservation areas is set out within the National Planning Policy Framework (March
2012).
Fig 3 Datestone on Clifton Terrace, rebuilt by
the Muncaster Estate.
Fig 4 Pebble mosaic made by Maggie Howarth
at The Millennium Garden off Main Street.
This document seeks to:
 Define the special interest of the conservation area and identify the issues which
threaten the special qualities of the conservation area (in the form of the Appraisal);
 Provide guidelines to prevent harm and achieve enhancement (in the form of the
Management Plan).
This document therefore provides a firm basis on which applications for development
within the Ravenglass Conservation Area can be assessed. It should be read in
conjunction with the wider adopted development plan policy framework produced by the
Lake District National Park Authority. These documents include:
(i) The Lake District National Park Local Plan (adopted 1998): Chapter 3 addresses the
conservation of the built environment;
(ii) The Lake District National Park Core Strategy (adopted 2010): Policy CS27 “The
acclaimed historic environment”.
Survey work for this document and the accompanying townscape appraisal map was
carried out during September 2010. The omission of any building, feature or space
should not be taken to imply that it is not of interest.
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Lake District National Park Authority: Ravenglass Conservation Area Appraisal & Management Plan
2
Location and setting
Location
Ravenglass is situated on the west coast of Cumbria at the end of a spur road off the
main A595, without through traffic. It lies within the Parish of Muncaster and is the only
coastal village within the Lake District National Park.
The nearby A595 runs north-south near to the coast. Minor roads link the area to the
Lake District fells and some nearby settlements. The location is remote from many of
the other main Lake District settlements and, indeed, from many other principal
Cumbrian towns. Broughton in Furness is the nearest Lake District settlement of any
notable size, some 19 miles away, reached by the circuitous coast road or a more direct
but minor road over Corney Fell. Whitehaven and Barrow are 17 miles and 36 miles to
the north and south respectively. The smaller coastal settlements of Seascale and
Sellafield are much closer and more easily reached.
Fig 5 Late afternoon sun on the estuary of the
River Esk close to Ravenglass.
Fig 6 Rear of Main Street viewed from the
shore.
Ravenglass is served by the Cumbrian Coast railway line running from Lancaster to
Carlisle via Barrow in Furness. It is also home to the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway,
a scenic narrow-gauge steam railway which provides services to and from Eskdale.
The village is on Cycle Route 72 which links to Hadrian’s Wall cycle route and the
Cumbrian Coast footpath which links with the Coast to coast path at St Bees.
The extensive sands at Ravenglass attract many seabirds and waders. To the west of
the village is the Ravenglass Nature Reserve which is famous for its colony of blackheaded gulls and terns. To the south-west is the Eskmeals Dunes Nature Reserve.
Boundary
The boundaries of Ravenglass Conservation Area have been drawn to enclose almost
the entire village from its coastal western edge, containing the historic medieval core of
the settlement (Main Street), to railway-associated development east of the mainline
railway.
The sea wall and defences define the coastal western edge of the village and delineate
the conservation area boundary west of Main Street. This runs from the village’s
southern tip past the southern flood gate to the mainline railway bridge (beside the site
of the old ford across the River Mite).
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Lake District National Park Authority: Ravenglass Conservation Area Appraisal & Management Plan
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Lake District National Park Authority: Ravenglass Conservation Area Appraisal & Management Plan
To the east of Main Street, the boundary follows the rear of historic property boundaries
but omits the public car park and modern residential area (Croftlands Drive, Townfield
Close and Murrayfield Terrace) between the rear of Main Street and the mainline
railway. This area has a late 20th century appearance which does not contribute to the
otherwise historic character of the conservation area. However, the boundary detours to
encompass Station Hill and the former railway station building (built in 1873 and
converted to Ratty Arms Public House in 1974) which is an important element of the 19th
century development of the village.
Fig 7 The mainline railway embankment and
bridge divides the village. To the left is a ford
across the River Mite.
Fig 8 Signal box at Ravenglass Station.
The mainline railway embankment forms a very dominant physical division in the village
which effectively creates two groupings of properties, east and west. The area west of
the mainline has been identified immediately above and is notable for the presence of
Main Street, the linear medieval core of the village. East of the mainline railway, the
conservation area boundary is notable for developments during 1850-1910 associated
with the coming of the railways (1849 onwards) and development of the Muncaster
Estate at the turn of the 19th century. Here the boundary tightly encloses 19th century
villas built for railway employees (The Beeches, Springfield), houses built by the
Muncaster Estate (Wells Cottages) and railway buildings (e.g. engine sheds, station and
signal box) associated with the former Furness Railway and the Ravenglass and
Eskdale Railway.
Topography and landscape setting
Ravenglass is situated on a promontory of reclaimed salt marsh within an estuary at the
confluence of three rivers – the Esk, the Irt and the Mite. Its situation is low lying with a
gentle incline up to the east towards the railway line and the slopes of the Muncaster
Estate.
The promontory is effectively the end of Muncaster Fell, a narrow craggy
outlying ridge 6km (4miles) long, reaching 231metres (758 feet) in height, aligned southwest/north-east and dividing the Mite and Esk flood plains.
The estuary and sand dunes to the east provide a degree of shelter but the situation is
nevertheless exposed to the prevailing winds. To the east there is a belt of woodland
which separates the coast fringe from the Estate parkland and fields.
The low-lying situation, just a few feet above high tide mark makes the town susceptible
to flooding. Sea walls, a berm and gate were built after floods of 1967 and 1978 to
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Lake District National Park Authority: Ravenglass Conservation Area Appraisal & Management Plan
protect the village. At low tide the estuary sands slope gently away from the town’s sea
defences to create and an attractive inter-tidal foreshore.
The conservation area is situated directly on the estuary edge with woodland plantation
and railway to the rear. The boundary with the estuary is sharply defined and the
surrounding inter-tidal zone of sand, shingle and mud is a flat beach-like area at low tide.
At high tide this area is covered with water, though it is usually possible to walk beside
the water’s edge or clamber over rocks.
Fig 9 The west side of Main Street directly
abuts the estuary.
Fig 10 The Green, a public open space, was
Wells Cottage once the site of a row of
cottages.
Geology
The Lake District comprises a mass of ancient rocks in three major bands running northeast to south-west. In the north, forming Skiddaw, Saddleback and Grassmoor is the
Skiddaw Group (Skiddaw Slates). South of this is the central area of the Borrowdale
Volcanic Group. The southernmost third of the Lake District is composed of sedimentary
rocks known as the Windermere Group.
Ravenglass lies at the mouth of an estuary on a band of sandstone running along the
western margin of the Lake District mass, just west of the central Borrowdale Volcanic
Group which provides much of the mineral wealth of the area and contains the rugged
peaks of Coniston Old Man and Scafell Pike. The sandstone intrusion runs from below
Ravenglass to St Bees. Immediately to the east lies an area of granite (hence the use of
the narrow gauge railway to transport granite from a mine at Beckfoot). To the west lies
the offshore area of the East Irish Sea basin of younger sedimentary rocks.
Archaeology
In a settlement such as Ravenglass, which may have origins that are Roman or earlier,
origins, it is very probable that archaeological deposits may be found within the
conservation area. The railway area may contain interesting features of industrial
archaeology. Most of the buildings within the conservation area are themselves of
archaeological interest, and are likely to retain evidence of their age, use and
construction that is only likely to be uncovered during building work.
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Lake District National Park Authority: Ravenglass Conservation Area Appraisal & Management Plan
3
The historical development of the hamlet
Ravenglass’ location by an estuary formed by three rivers is critical to its historical
development. Access to the sea and a safe harbour were essential for trading,
transportation and fishing.
The earliest evidence of human occupation in the area is flint-working in the sand dunes.
Later the River Esk was used to transport stone axes made in Scafell and Langdale.
Also important to the development of the area was the settlement’s location within a
relatively level coastal zone between enclosing hills to the east and sea to the west. The
coastal zone was used for cultivation and formed part of the main north-south route for
trade and commerce.
The construction of the Roman fort (established circa 100 AD and occupied well into the
4th century) on land nearby to the south was also significant to the development of a
settlement. The presence of a Roman fort points to the strong defensive qualities of the
location with rivers and estuary protecting one side. The harbour once commanded the
coastline and, allied with the forts at Hardnott and Ambleside, helped to protect
Hadrian’s western frontier.
The remains of the fort’s bath-house (outside the
conservation area) are known locally as Walls Castle, now in the care of English
Heritage.
Fig 11 Ravenglass was an active port from the
Middle Ages until the Industrial Revolution.
Fig 12 The earliest datestone in the village at
No 1 Clifton Terrace, once the Robin Hood Inn.
It is not clear whether the village existed during the Roman occupation. The Latin name
attributed by historians to the fort of “Glannoventa” derives from Celtic origins and may
be formed from the words glan/glenn (bank, shore or landing) and venta (market,
trading-station). This might suggest that the Romans landed by an existing settlement
on the riverbank. The fort would clearly have attracted more people to the area and
would have bolstered any nearby settlement.
Following the Romans’ departure, Anglian and Norse settlers came to the area and it is
probable that the natural harbour of Ravenglass was their first point of arrrival.
The first written record of R’englas was a gift of land for a hospital in the 11th century.
Following the Norman Conquest a castle and parish church were established at
Muncaster. In 1208 King John gave a charter to Richard de Luci, Earl of Egremont to
hold a weekly market and annual fair at Ravenglass - thereafter the village and port grew
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Lake District National Park Authority: Ravenglass Conservation Area Appraisal & Management Plan
and flourished for 500 years, until first the silting up of the estuary and then the coming
of the railway put an end to commercial trade in the port.
In the 16th and 17th century, the port was the only natural west coast harbour between
the Rivers Dee and Solway. In 1675 the annual fair was described as “a grand fair of
three days long for all sorts of cattle especially and other commodities…”
The town
prospered up to the 18th century mainly due to trade, legal and illegal, with Ireland, the
Isle of Man and Scotland. By 1738 Ravenglass had its own Mayor and Town Crier.
A market cross stood at the widest part of the street until 1774, when it was moved to the
west side of the street. It was completely removed in 1885. Its approximate original
position is now marked with a plaque.
With its safe harbour, market and fair, Ravenglass was at this time the busiest and
principal port in the old county of Cumberland. The town was also well located on the
north-south overland route along the coast and was a stopping point where travellers
waited to cross nearby fords of its three rivers. A turnpike was built from 1750 through
Ravenglass from Calder Bridge to Duddon Bridge.
However, the town went into decline as a port in the late 18th and early 19th century due
in part to the silting up of the estuary. The narrowness and depth of channel at
Ravenglass led to its being unfavourably compared to the expanding port of
Whitehaven, the latter also being well located in relation to the coal fields and the
shipping routes to/from the Americas.
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Lake District National Park Authority: Ravenglass Conservation Area Appraisal & Management Plan
Towards the end of the 18th century, the fair had ceased to prosper. Sir John
Pennington obtained a charter in 1775 for a weekly market and three fairs of one day
each but they received little support. William Daniell’s ‘A Voyage Around Great Britain’,
published in the first quarter of the 19th century, describes “a dirty ragged, forlorn looking
town which…may be pronounced the most miserable place in the kingdom…”
The opening of the Whitehaven and Furness Junction Railway to Ravenglass in 1849
(with connections to a main line by 1857), and the gradual growth of tourism in the latter
19th century, helped the local economy but failed to arrest the decline of the village as
market and port. At the end of the 19th century Lord Muncaster funded the construction
of Wells Cottages and municipal buildings by Station Hill (Infant and Church School,
Police House and a Public Hall). The Beeches and Springfield were built between the
two railway bridges c. 1885 but plans for further houses and to expand the village as a
resort came to nothing.
Fig 13 The Pennington family ‘wildcat’ emblem
on the wall of the Pennington Hotel.
Fig 14 Plaque marking the site of the Market
Cross removed in 1885. (copyright M
Harrington)
From 1873-75 the narrow-gauge Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway (R & ER), known
affectionately as ‘La’al Ratty’, was built for shipping iron ore from Eskdale and for
passenger traffic. The iron ore transportation did not prosper but passenger operation
continued. In 1915, after two years of closure, the line was relaid with a new and
narrower 15 inch gauge track, ¼ scale model engines were introduced and a more
profitable period for the railway commenced.
Although granite hauled from nearby quarries for road improvements kept the railway in
operation during the 1920s, it was ultimately the growth of tourism which sustained the
revival of the R & ER. Today, trains still run into the Lakeland mountains on a scenic
narrow gauge railway started 135 years ago.
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Lake District National Park Authority: Ravenglass Conservation Area Appraisal & Management Plan
Fig 15 The Ratty Arms was once Ravenglass
Station designed in 1873 by Paley & Austin.
Fig 16 Former school and police station, Main
Street.
Gibraltar Row, a row of cottages beside the old ford across the River Mite (roughly
opposite today’s Parish Hall), was demolished at the start of the 20th century. Only two
properties were built around the village between the wars despite a building boom
occurring elsewhere in the country. It is notable that almost all the buildings within the
conservation date from the 19th century or earlier.
In view of its coastal situation Ravenglass has been susceptible to flooding. After
serious floods in 1967 and 1978, a flood prevention scheme including sea-walls, new
drains and a storm gate were built to protect the village. In the 1980s a small modern
housing estate was built on the old Town Fields between Main Street and the curve of
the railway. Today the village has a population of about 200 residents.
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The character and appearance of the conservation area
Historic layout and street pattern
Ravenglass has a typical and distinctive historic medieval street plan and, although
buildings have no doubt been re-built, the basic layout has probably changed little since
the granting of a market charter in the 13th century. The wide market place of the Main
Street, lined with buildings, was laid out, evolved or adapted principally to facilitate a
weekly market. While the narrow defensible entries to Main Street were possibly
defensive, especially given the proximity of the turbulent border, it is also likely that the
pinchpoints at either end of the street would have enabled livestock to be penned while
allowing room for market trading.
The north-south orientation of the street and the close-knit arrangement of buildings to
the west also would have provided shelter to the market place from the weather,
particularly given the exposed location in relation to the prevailing wind. It is notable that
the dwellings to the exposed west side are more humble than those on the more
sheltered (and, before modern heating, probably more desirable) east side. The main
street is a cul de sac road, although this was not always so, as the old coastal road went
through Ravenglass via a number of fords and ramshackle bridges.
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Lake District National Park Authority: Ravenglass Conservation Area Appraisal & Management Plan
To the east side of Main Street, buildings were once at the head of long narrow plots,
which were probably laid out following the foundation of the market. Once part of an
open field cultivation system these fields were enclosed by 1842, and this is still visible
on the earliest maps of the area. Side streets and rear lanes gave access to the fields.
Former barns to the rear at the southern end of Main Street are indicative of the
agricultural use. By 1899, however, the Second Edition Ordnance Survey map shows
that the historic field pattern had all but disappeared.
The arrival of the railways in the mid 19th century represents the most significant building
phase for the town after the middle ages. Initially the new track only bisected historic
field patterns but later new sidings and buildings swept them away. A new transportation
hub to the north-east of the town was established, including station buildings, goods
shed and signal box by 1873. Roadside dwellings soon followed. Later, in the interwar
period, the success of the Ravenglass and Eskdale miniature railway led to the old trainshed being cleared and a new open platform and shelter built to the east of the mainline
station.
Fig 17 Narrow entrance to Main Street that may
have originally been for defence, or enclosure
of animals.
Fig 18 Side lane from Main Street to former
open field system.
Victorian philanthropy and paternalism also left its mark. In 1873 the Muncaster Estate
became more influential and sought to re-cast Ravenglass as a model village in a similar
way to other large estates. This saw the start of building work within the northern part of
the village. Today’s Parish Hall (1878) and adjoining buildings were built around this
time together with Walls Cottages beside the village approach road and Clifton Terrace
(1884) in Main Street.
The northern end of Main Street was once more enclosed in places than at present with
dwellings on the coastal side of the road, although this was by no means continuous.
The result of the demolition of these cottages (‘Gibraltar Row’) in the interwar period is
that the dwellings and buildings on the eastern side of the road between the railway
bridge and the Pennington Hotel now face the sea along their entire length.
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Lake District National Park Authority: Ravenglass Conservation Area Appraisal & Management Plan
Townscape analysis – character areas
The Ravenglass Conservation Area can be divided into two distinctly different character
areas, one on each side of the mainline railway: the medieval core west of the mainline
railway (Main Street) and the mid/late 19th century post-railway development east of the
railway. The distinctiveness of each character area derives from its formative period of
development, topographical location and layout.
In addition to the road, the two distinctive parts of the village are connected by a footpath
leading from the railway area to Main Street via a footbridge over the mainline railway.
Fig 19 Development on the west side of Main
Street is generally smaller in scale than the
east side.
Fig 20 Contrasting styles of architecture on the
west side of Main Street.
1. The medieval core (Main Street)
The core of Ravenglass is a relatively compact linear settlement with a simple medieval
plan. Houses are closely arranged along Main Street typically in terraces on small plots.
At the core of the village, the houses are grouped along the east and west to fully
enclose the former market place, a cigar-shaped linear space and street providing the
only means of vehicular access to the houses.
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To the north, only the eastern side of the street retains buildings and is therefore open to
the estuary, the west side being instead defined by a flood barrier or berm. The latter is
an attractive grassy area which historically has been more open and more strongly
related to the estuary.
The exposed character at the northern end of Main Street is in stark contrast to the
sheltered and defined character of the market place. The difference is accentuated at
the pinch point between the areas where the street narrows at the Pennington Hotel.
Both the enclosed and open areas of the street have distinctive, if contrasting spatial
character which is important to the special interest of the area.
The density and grain is relatively uniform within Main Street, although the western
coastal side is slightly more intensive in its layout, with smaller dwellings than the east.
The plan form of buildings is generally narrow frontage with deep plans. The density is
also lower at the northern end of the street with larger properties with generally more
space around them and with generally less deep plan forms.
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Lake District National Park Authority: Ravenglass Conservation Area Appraisal & Management Plan
Buildings hold to a strong and continuous building line and are generally two storeys
though with some variety in building height. The earlier 18th and 19th century cottages
are generally low and arranged in terraces with a relatively shallow roof pitch.
Exceptions are Pennington House and the Pennington Arms. There are many varied
outbuildings to the rear of properties which add to the historic interest and character of
the conservation area.
Fig 21 Springfield (1884) overlooks the railway
junction.
Fig 22 Former goods shed (c.1873) of the
Furness Railway.
2. Area of mid/late19th century development east of the mainline railway
At first, as can be seen on the First Edition Ordnance Survey map of 1860, the railway
made little impact on the original form of the village. The embanked railway cut through
an old field system to the rear of Main Street. Station Hill was created as an access road
to the railway station. The approach road to the village was unchanged, except for a
railway bridge across the road just beyond the northern extent of the village.

By the time of the Second Edition Ordnance Survey of 1899, the Ravenglass and
Eskdale Railway (opened in 1875) was well-established and additional roadside and
railway-side buildings have been built on the east side of the railway embankment,
creating a loosely-knit group of buildings out of sight of the core of the village and with a
separate identity. This sense of detachment from the main village remains today.
This character area may be sub-divided into two inter-locking areas defined by
association with road or railway.
The railway area between the junction of the mainline and narrow-gauge railways is
quite spacious with railway buildings, e.g. engine sheds, platforms and turntable located
beside, and directly relating to, the railway tracks. The former station (now The Ratty
Arms) forms the focus of this area. Most of the open space between the two tracks is
dedicated to parking for visitors to the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway and nearby
museum. It is the character and appearance of the mainly stone-built 19th century
railway buildings that adds to the historic interest of this part of the conservation area.
The Beeches, Springfield (1861) and Wells Cottages (c.1890) relate to the road rather
than the railway. The former were built by a local builder, the latter by the Muncaster
Estate. Building and plot size is noticeably greater here than in the medieval core, and
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Lake District National Park Authority: Ravenglass Conservation Area Appraisal & Management Plan
some houses have substantial gardens. This area is enhanced by trees, hedges, grassy
banks and other greenery. It has a rural atmosphere which contrasts with the estuaryside character of Main Street, a short distance away on the other side of the mainline
railway bridge.
The Parish Hall grouping at the top of Main Street was built by the Muncaster Estate
during the same period at the end of the 19th century. Historically and architecturally this
ensemble of buildings is more closely connected to the other (east) side of the railway
than to Main Street. Clifton Terrace (rebuilt, datestone M 1894), at the lower end of Main
Street, has a similar connection.
Fig 23 View from the southern end of Main
Street towards Black Combe.
Fig 24 Looking southwards along the enclosed
length of Main Street.
Focal points, views and vistas
There are no outstanding focal points within the conservation area. The views from the
estuary to the village at low tide give a strong impression of the situation of the low-lying
village hugging the shore with the gently rising hills and woodland of the Muncaster
Estate beyond. One sees a long row of low two-storey buildings with regular building
heights. The only element that stands out and draws the eye is the frontage of the group
containing the Parish Hall set back from the sea walls behind an apron of grassy green.
Notably these buildings overlook the estuary whilst the east side of Main Street turns its
back.
.
From the landward side there are few public views of the village, other than those from
the coastal footpath to the south, where the southern tip can be viewed, and from the
north across the estuary near to Saltcoats. Oblique views into the Ravenglass
Conservation Area can be gained as one approaches by the mainline train.
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Lake District National Park Authority: Ravenglass Conservation Area Appraisal & Management Plan
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Lake District National Park Authority: Ravenglass Conservation Area Appraisal & Management Plan
The notable views outwards from the conservation area are those of the estuary, sea
and dunes from a number of points along Main Street, particularly from the southern
flood gate, The Green and The Millennium Garden. These views are characterised by
large skies and a strong horizon line. Sunsets can be particularly fine. Seaward views
are essential visual elements in the character of the conservation area, linking the village
to its coastal setting. However, it is a peculiar and characteristic feature of the southern
(enclosed) end of Main Street that the estuary cannot be seen, being obscured by the
row of estuary-side cottages.
Within the conservation area there are impressive views of historic buildings up and
down the southern end of Main Street. The view of the railway stations from the railway
footbridge is also of interest.
Fig 25 Old and new railway buildings of the
Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway.
Fig 26 Former agricultural building to the rear
of Main Street.
Significant views are shown as follows on the Townscape Appraisal Map:
A
B
C
D
E
F
Panoramic view from The Green across the estuary towards Saltcoats;
Panoramic view from Millennium Garden across the estuary to Nature Reserve;
Panoramic view from south end of Main Street to Eskmeal Dunes and Black Combe;
From the southern end of Main Street northwards;
From the northern end of Main Street southwards;
From the railway footbridge northwards to railway buildings and distant fells;
Current activities and uses
Historically Ravenglass was a typical coastal market town with the usual range of
activities associated with fishing, sea-trading and agriculture. In the 18th century
Ravenglass supported four inns, eight shops, three milliners, a baker, bank, blacksmith,
cobbler, ironmonger, joiner, laundry, post office and slaughter house.
Whilst small-scale fishing and sailing activity survives, the village’s primary role today is
as a residential settlement and local tourist centre, being close to Muncaster Castle and
the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway.
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Lake District National Park Authority: Ravenglass Conservation Area Appraisal & Management Plan
Tourists and local people are serviced by a small Post Office and shop in Main Street.
Accommodation is available at two small hotels, a B & B., self-catering cottages and a
guest house (with seasonal tea rooms). There are two pubs.
The village is generally a quiet place. Its atmosphere depends on the season, time of
the week and weather. During fine weather, weekend and holiday periods, the village
can be host to a large number of visitors but Ravenglass is not as busy as many Lake
District villages due to its remoteness. The sea air, breeze and characteristic sounds
and smells of the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway are important components of the
village’s character.
Fig 27 Site of the market place in Main Street.
The street narrows at the southern end where it
gives access to the beach.
Fig 28 The Green is bounded by a terrace of
houses to the east but open to the estuary on
its west side.
Open spaces, landscape and trees
Main Street contains two open spaces with a contrastingly different sense of enclosure.
The narrowing of Main Street between Post Office and The Pennington Hotel marks the
transition between the two.
The former market place at the southern end of Main Street (south of the Post Office) is
the principal open space within the conservation area and one the village’s defining
features. On either side of the street, two building lines with a slight curvature and
narrow pinchpoint at either end create an intimate, enclosed space, created as a market
place. Historically, enclosure of the market place reflected a need to contain animals
and provide protection from the weather.
In contrast, north of the former market place (north of the Post Office) lies The Green,
the conservation area’s only public open space, enclosed to the east by a line of
buildings but wide open to the estuary to the west. In effect, The Green is a band of
grass between road and foreshore and registered as a Village Green. It is a raised
embankment with an engineered appearance (it forms part of the flood defences) and
has no planting other than grass but it is a well used space from where there are
expansive views across the estuary and dunes.
A small but significant open space along Main Street is The Millennium Garden, formerly
an open cartway from Main Street to the shore, now a small, attractively landscaped
area overlooking the estuary and registered as a Village Green.
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Lake District National Park Authority: Ravenglass Conservation Area Appraisal & Management Plan
On the other (eastern) side of the mainline railway the estuary does not play a part in
landscape character. The museum/station car park is an open space that is strongly
defined by buildings but it is dominated by cars and parking spaces and makes little
contribution to the special character of the area, although appropriate for its past and
current use.
Fig 29 Well-tended gardens add colour to the
streetscene.
Fig 30 Trees are mainly found in the western
part of the conservation area, east of the
mainline railway.
A number of private gardens make an important contribution to the greenery of the
conservation area. Although there are no large gardens or trees in Main Street, there
are many well-planted forecourts, potted plants and climbers that provide welcome
greenery. Unfortunately the volume of parking means that much of the greenery is often
obscured.
There are few trees or tree groups within the conservation area apart from beside the
route into the village where there is, in particular, a very fine group of Scots pines. The
roadside hedges and grassy verges (especially the grassed bank between
railway/museum car park and road) soften this part of the conservation area and give it a
very rural feel.
Trees and greenery west of the railway are uncommon. At the southern tip of the
conservation area there are trees and shrubs within the gardens of nearby properties
and these have a low, rugged, windswept appearance. Seen from the estuary the
village has a green back-drop of trees on the Muncaster Estate.
Public realm: floorscape, street lighting, street furniture, boundary walls
The public realm of Ravenglass underwent a programme of enhancement in 2000.
Works included the removal of telegraph poles and the placing underground of unsightly
overhead wires, installation of well-designed street lamps and benches, a sett rumble
strip to discourage unnecessary traffic from driving down Main Street and the creation of
The Millennium Garden in a formerly untidy, landlocked piece of village green behind the
Old Reading Room.
Road surfaces are predominantly tarmac. In Main Street, where some forecourts and
pavements are in private ownership, there are instances of cobbles or pebbles worked
into decorative patterns, notably outside Pennington House. Some granite kerbstones
are in evidence but modern concrete kerbs and channels have become the norm.
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Lake District National Park Authority: Ravenglass Conservation Area Appraisal & Management Plan
Where they still exist, local surfacing materials, e.g. stone kerbs and cobbles, are
important and distinctive historical details which contribute to the special interest of the
area.
Fig 31 Pebbles laid in a decorative pattern in
Main Street.
Fig 32 One of a number of benches installed as
part of village enhancement in 2000.
There is a wide variety in the materials and details of boundary walls. Boundary walls
are generally low to roadside. They include rendered and cobblestone walls with and
without railings; rendered stone walls with stone copings or rendered castellations; stone
walls with limestone paving or dressed sandstone coping stones; cast concrete panels
and engineering brick. Some houses in Main Street have boundaries attractively defined
by flower and plant pots. The walls to the Arts and Crafts style Wells Cottages are
particularly fine being stepped masonry with dressed red sandstone copings and robust
gate pillars.
5
The buildings of the conservation area
Architectural styles, materials and detailing
Buildings within the Ravenglass Conservation area are varied. They date primarily from
the 18th and 19th centuries, the former with a debased Georgian architectural
appearance, the latter typically Victorian Gothic or Arts and Crafts in style. Despite its
medieval, and earlier, origins there are few intact examples of vernacular architecture in
the village. It is probable that many older vernacular buildings were re-fronted in the 18th
century and late 20th century conversions and refurbishments have substantially altered
former cottages and farm buildings. To the rear of Main Street there is significantly more
variety of historic form and layout.
The village’s oldest building may be No. 1 Main Street (within Clifton Terrace), formerly a
public house, dated 1689. However it is possible that earlier structures exist and many
of these have been integrated into new houses rebuilt during the 18th and 19th centuries.
Certainly, building fabric will have been re-used over the centuries – it is possible that
the masonry of some buildings was robbed from the Roman fort.
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Lake District National Park Authority: Ravenglass Conservation Area Appraisal & Management Plan
Fig 33 Roof of slates laid in diminishing
courses, i.e. large ones at eaves, small ones at
ridge.
Fig 34 Typical architectural details on a late
19th century Arts and Crafts style house in Main
Street.
Most of the current buildings are dwellings, though many of these will have had other
uses in the recent past, including shops, chapel, smithy, pubs, banks and other business
uses. There are a number of converted former agricultural buildings to the west of Main
Street. Buildings are generally two storeys.
The Georgian-influenced buildings within the conservation area, found exclusively in
Main Street, are humble and simple in character, form and detailing. They have a
pleasingly robust, solid and regular appearance best exemplified by the west side of
Main Street, especially Pennington House and the Pennington Hotel.
Georgian buildings in the village tend to be very balanced and symmetrical in design
with a regular rhythm in the disposition of architectural elements such as doors and
windows. They are generally free of excessive ornament and decoration, other than
wide sandstone surrounds to windows. Many of the houses of this type in Main Street
have cart entrances which are integral to their design.
In contrast, Victorian buildings delight in breaking Georgian ‘rules’, with great
asymmetry, verticality and decoration expressed in either the Gothic or Arts and Crafts
styles, the former characterised by pointed arches and an ecclesiastical tenor, the latter
typified by a Victorian interpretation of vernacular features and craftsmanship, e.g.
dormers, tile-hanging, steeply pitched roofs. These buildings and some of the railway
buildings have greater height, more complex forms and steeper roof pitches than the 18th
century buildings that predominate in Main Street.
For example, Pennington House (17th century origins, re-fronted in the 18th century) has
a well-proportioned symmetrical two-storey façade with five bays and a central panelled
front door under a moulded canopy. At the northern end of Main Street the Parish Hall
group has a varied mix of chimneys, gables, dormers, decorative barge boards and
hexagonal roof. Wells Cottages and, for example The Beeches, are all 19th century
have similar qualities.
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Lake District National Park Authority: Ravenglass Conservation Area Appraisal & Management Plan
Fig 35 Ravenglass still has a mainline station
on the line between Lancaster and Carlisle.
Fig 36 Former agricultural building now a
dwelling in Main Street.
Despite some uniformity in materials, e.g. render and green slate roofs, Ravenglass
displays a mix of building materials which, together with varied painting of render, gives
variety in appearance.
The prevalent building material is local natural stone – cobblestone, sandstone and
granite. Roof material is commonly locally quarried green slate laid in diminishing
courses in random widths. Stone masonry frequently comprises cobblestone walls,
either exposed or rendered with a coarse textured lime render, with exposed sandstone
quoins and other dressing to hold the cobblestones in place.
Cobbles are usually split when used on dwellings but left whole on lower status buildings
and walls. Many sandstone window surrounds, heads and cills were traditionally painted
a contrasting colour to walls. Rendered walls are occasionally painted, in recent years
increasingly with bright and varied colours.
Some early brick has been found beneath a house in Main Street but prior to the coming
of the railway in the mid 19th century the use of clay brick or clay tile is uncommon
reflecting the absence of a local source of clay. Red brick and clay tile hanging can
however be found in the Arts and Crafts houses of c.1900 (e.g. Wells Cottages and
Clifton Terrace).
Historic windows were originally timber sliding-sash or side-opening casements
recessed within surrounding masonry and set within broad sandstone window surrounds.
Sometimes there is no surround and window openings are rendered and gloss painted.
Some of the later Victorian houses have quoins to surrounds. Arts and Crafts style
windows have chamfered timber casement windows.
Historic timber joinery was painted. Bright blue painted joinery is traditional to buildings
within the Muncaster Estate.
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Lake District National Park Authority: Ravenglass Conservation Area Appraisal & Management Plan
Fig 37 Pennington House, grade II, was refronted in the early 19th century.
Fig 38 The Bay Horse (1764) is a former
coaching inn, listed grade II.
Fig 39 Wells Cottages built by the Muncaster
Estate beside the entrance to the village.
Fig 40 Grassy bank adds to the rural feel of the
village east of the railway.
Listed buildings
A listed building is one that is included on the Government’s Statutory List of Buildings of
Special Architectural or Historic Interest. These buildings are protected by law and
consent is required from the Lake District National Park Authority before any works of
alteration, extension or demolition can be carried out. Listed buildings are marked on the
Townscape Appraisal map. These are:
1.
2.
Pennington House
Bay Horse
grade II
grade II
Significant unlisted buildings
A number of unlisted buildings have been identified on the Townscape Appraisal map as
being “Buildings of Special Character”. These buildings vary, but commonly they will be
good examples of relatively unaltered historic buildings where their style, detailing and
building materials provides the streetscape with interest and variety. Most importantly,
they make a positive contribution to the special interest of the conservation area. Where
a building has been heavily altered, and restoration would be impractical, they are
excluded.
Local details
The distinctive local identity of the area is enhanced by a number of small features and
historic elements that cumulatively help to give the conservation area a sense of place,
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Lake District National Park Authority: Ravenglass Conservation Area Appraisal & Management Plan
e.g. datestones, GR post box, cobbled pavements and stone kerbs.
should be preserved.
6
These items
Negative features and issues
Loss of historic interest
Some of the buildings within the conservation area are suffering from an incremental
loss of architectural detail. The use of inappropriate modern materials, such as the
replacement of original timber windows with uPVC is particularly regrettable but perhaps
not surprising given the village’s exposed location.

Inappropriate extensions and alterations
There are instances where buildings have been extended in a manner which neither
reflects nor harmonises with the traditional design of the buildings in the village, nor
utilises a palette of traditional construction materials. For example there are a number of
flat roof extensions and dormers to the rear of properties on Main Street, particularly on
the estuary side, which appear out of character with the traditional pitched roofs nearby.

Intrusive additions: inappropriate window and door openings, porches.
There have occasionally also been alterations to door and window openings, notably
large horizontal ‘picture windows’ that have upset architectural composition. Original
doors, dormers and porches complement buildings but poorly designed modern porches
and dormers on a historic building can, if not carefully considered, severely detract from
a building’s character and appearance particularly if they do not match the host building
in scale, design and materials.

Parking and turning in Main Street
As vehicle ownership has increased over the years, parked vehicles have become more
intrusive in Main Street. The arrangement of parking is problematical as it is commonly
within private forecourt areas at right angles to the highway. This tends to be more
visually intrusive compared to the more conventional end-to-end parking. Large vehicles
stick out into the road and attractive front gardens are obscured. Visitors who cannot, or
will not, turn their vehicles on the beach at the end of Main Street cause disruption and
occasional damage to buildings by turning on the road.

Boundary walls
The simplicity of boundary walls in Main Street has been marred by the use in some
cases of modern and inappropriate materials such as concrete blocks.

Loss of cobbles and highway design and materials
Loss of cobbled road surfaces and natural stone kerbs adversely affects the area’s
special historic character. The engineered design of the junction of Main Street with
Croftlands is very poor in the use of an inappropriate bend in the road and contemporary
highway radii, harming the visual continuity of Main Street and pavement on the estuary
frontage.

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Lake District National Park Authority: Ravenglass Conservation Area Appraisal & Management Plan
PART 2
CONSERVATION AREA MANAGEMENT PLAN
1
INTRODUCTION
1.1
Aims of the management plan
The designation of a conservation area is a means to safeguard and enhance the sense
of place, character and appearance of our most valued historic assets and places.
However, we also recognise that conservation areas are living environments that will
continue to evolve and adapt. Designating a conservation area does not prohibit change
or new development. However, it does involve carefully managing changes to ensure
that the character and appearance of these areas is safeguarded and enhanced for the
benefit of present and future generations.
The local community has a vital role to play. We appreciate that the special character of
an area is often the reason why people chose to stay and live in the area in the first
place. The area cannot be managed without a shared understanding of what is important
and what needs to be done. Conservation Area status actually brings very few
additional legal controls and the involvement of residents and businesses is essential to
realise the benefits of designation. Maintaining the character of the area is, therefore, a
joint endeavour between ourselves and anyone who is responsible for proposing new
development or undertaking repairs, maintenance, enhancement and minor alterations.
This includes the highway authority (Cumbria County Council), the district council, parish
council, civic societies, local businesses and residents.
1.2
The benefits of designation
Conservation Area designation brings the potential for significant benefits by protecting
the interests of the whole community. The benefits of designation can be summarised
as follows:

the potential to identify and protect existing features or buildings to retain an
area’s unique and special character

the more
sensitive
design of
new development
and
protection from
unsympathetic and damaging change

ensuring that important historic buildings are protected from demolition

preventing the loss or damage to trees which contribute positively towards the
area’s special character

the promotion and co-ordination of desirable enhancements

encouraging an understanding of an area’s history

ensuring that an area’s sense of place is conserved, particularly the significance,
memories and associations it has for local people
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Lake District National Park Authority: Ravenglass Conservation Area Appraisal & Management Plan

promoting the use of local and traditional craft skills

encouraging the use of local and traditional building materials. These are often
more environmentally friendly and sustainable than modern products.
The purpose of the management plan is to help deliver these benefits. It presents
proposals to achieve the preservation and enhancement of the conservation area’s
special character, informed by the appraisal and forms the basis to involve the local
community in these proposals.
1.3
Legislative background
The special qualities of the area have been identified as part of the appraisal process.
The management plan seeks to preserve and enhance these special qualities and
realise improvements and resolve the negative features and issues, which are identified
on Section 7 of the appraisal. The document satisfies the statutory requirement of
section 71(1) of the Planning (Listed Buildings & Conservation Areas) Act 1990 namely:
“It shall be the duty of the local planning authority from time to time to formulate and
publish proposals for the preservation and enhancement of any parts of their area which
are conservation areas.”
Section 69 [2] also states:
“It shall be the duty of the local planning authority from time to time to review the past
exercise of functions … and determine whether any further parts of their area should be
designated as conservation areas.”
The management plan reflects Government guidance set out in National Planning Policy
Framework (March 2012), English Heritage guidance titled, Understanding Place:
Conservation Area Designation, Appraisal and Management (March 2011) best practice
guidelines, policies within the Lake District National Park Local Plan (1998) and adopted
Core Strategy 2010, together with such guidance leaflets as ‘Converting an old
building?’ and ‘Outdoor advertisements and signs’.
In implementing this policy framework, our development management service aims to
preserve and enhance the special character of the conservation area. We recognise that
any such improvements do not have to be initiated and co-ordinated by us. The
valuable contribution of local environmental and community groups to positive
enhancement works and the role of the Parish Plan are also essential to enhancement.
Other agencies and funding bodies also have a vital role to play.
1.4
Public consultation
The Ravenglass Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plan is created by
collaborative working between heritage consultants, the Lake District National Park
Authority and the local community. The appraisal and management plan was subject to
a 10 week period of public consultation commencing in the July 2012. This included
sending consultation letters to residents and businesses placing the document on the
Authority’s website and the provision of a public exhibition in the town. The document
was subsequently be amended to incorporate relevant suggestions and comments.
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Lake District National Park Authority: Ravenglass Conservation Area Appraisal & Management Plan
1.5
Designation and extension
The appraisal has examined the conservation area boundaries and has identified that
the existing conservation area boundary is satisfactory.
1.6
Effects of designation
Designation as a conservation area brings a number of specific statutory provisions
aimed at assisting the “preservation and enhancement” of the area. These include
requiring Conservation Area Consent for the demolition of any unlisted building,
restrictions on advertisements, and requiring notice for proposed tree works. We will
seek to ensure that all development within the conservation area preserves or enhances
the character or appearance of the area.
Fig MP1 This house has modern windows and
the lower right-hand window opening has been
enlarged.
Fig MP2 The forecourt of this property has
been designated entirely for parking.
1.7
Listed Buildings
Listed buildings are protected by law as set out in the Planning (Listed Buildings and
Conservation Areas) Act 1990. The listing covers both the inside and outside of the
building, and any structure or building within its curtilage which was built before 1947.
Listed Building Consent is required from the Authority for any work which affects the
special architectural or historic interest of the listed building. There are currently 2 listed
buildings within the conservation area.
Extensions and alterations to listed buildings should conform with policy context outlined
in section 1.3 and should generally:





Take into account the prevailing forms of development;
Complement the form and character of the original building;
Be subordinate in bulk and scale to the principal building;
Use high quality materials and detailing;
Pay particular attention to roof lines, roof shape, eaves details, verge details and
chimneys.
We will seek to ensure that all works to a listed building have special regard to the
desirability of preserving the building or its setting or any features of special architectural
or historic interest that it possesses.
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Lake District National Park Authority: Ravenglass Conservation Area Appraisal & Management Plan
1.8
Significant Unlisted Buildings
In addition to the listed buildings, there are many individual and groups of buildings and
associated features which are of considerable local interest and make a positive
contribution to the character or appearance of the conservation area, and these are
shown as ‘Significant Unlisted Buildings’ on the Townscape Appraisal Map. A high
proportion of the buildings within the conservation area were identified by the townscape
appraisal to be Significant Unlisted Buildings. There is a presumption that all such
buildings will be retained, in accordance with Policy BE12 of the Lake District National
Park Local Plan (1998). We will ensure that the contribution that they make to the
character and appearance of the conservation area is carefully considered in relation to
all applications for extension, alteration and demolition of these buildings.
Fig MP3 Stone walls and gate piers add to the
area’s historic interest.
Fig MP4 Care should be taken to ensure that a
porch harmonises with the host building.
1.9
Enhancing and protecting the local character and features within the
conservation area
There is an opportunity to maintain and improve the character and appearance of the
conservation area simply by ensuring that day to day improvements, alterations and
maintenance of properties, however minor, are carried out sympathetically using good
quality materials and details. The local community has a big part to play in this and, over
time, the benefit to the conservation area can be very significant. The appraisal
identified that the following alterations can, cumulatively, seriously affect the special
character of the area and therefore need to be considered very carefully:








loss of timber windows and doors to uPVC alternatives
the replacement of traditional windows and doors with non-traditional and
anachronistic designs;
alterations to window/door openings;
the erection of porches;
minor installations and alteration of materials;
loss and alteration of boundary walls;
aerials, satellite dishes, alarms, downpipes and wires in prominent or highly visible
positions;
the use of non-traditional building materials, mortars and roofing materials.
To help retain and conserve traditional features and to prevent harm to single family
dwelling houses through alteration and extension we will consider introducing an Article
4 Direction. This would remove permitted development rights which allow unsympathetic
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Lake District National Park Authority: Ravenglass Conservation Area Appraisal & Management Plan
alterations to be made without planning permission. Such a Direction would require
consultation with the local community.
1.10 Trees
Within conservation areas, anyone intending lopping or felling a tree greater than 75mm.
diameter at 1.5 metres above the ground must give us six weeks written notice before
starting the work. This provides us with an opportunity of assessing the tree to see if it
makes a positive contribution to the character or appearance of the conservation area, in
which case we may decide to serve a Tree Preservation Order. The appraisal identifies a
number of significant trees and groups of trees on verges or within areas of public open
space and within private gardens. We will seek to consider the use of Tree Preservation
Orders in appropriate circumstances where a tree has significant amenity value and is
considered to be potentially under threat.
Fig. MP5 Flat roofs, dormers and ‘picture’
windows can look out of character.
Fig MP6 Modern windows in a historic building.
1.11 Enhancing and protecting views & the setting of the conservation area
The setting of the conservation area and views within, into and from the area are very
essential elements to its character and appearance. It is important that development,
enhancement and public realm work takes account of the setting of the conservation
area and important viewpoints and that these are preserved or enhanced so that the
special character of the conservation area is retained. Important views are identified on
the Townscape Appraisal map in the character appraisal.
1.12 Enhancement through new development, alterations and extensions
While there are very few opportunities for redevelopment within the conservation area,
some improvement or enlargement of the existing buildings may be possible subject to
sensitive design and good quality materials and details. There may be sites where
completely new development is acceptable. As the quality of the general environment
within the conservation area is already acknowledged by designation, we will encourage
well designed schemes using appropriate materials that respond positively to their
historic setting. This includes the encouragement of high quality contemporary and
sustainable design and materials.
1.13 Retaining and enhancing historic boundary treatments and surfaces
Traditionally, most boundaries in the conservation area are defined by low stone walls.
We will encourage the maintenance of traditional stone walls and seek their retention
rather than their replacement with new non-traditional boundary treatments. Similarly the
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Lake District National Park Authority: Ravenglass Conservation Area Appraisal & Management Plan
retention of historic stone road surfaces, paving, cobbles and curbs will be strongly
resisted where possible, while ensuring that design of traditional paving and surfaces is
also fully accessible.
Fig. MP7 Low front boundary walls are the
norm.
2
MONITORING AND REVIEW
2.1
Boundary review
Fig. MP8 Parking in Main Street can be
problematic.
We will seek to review the boundary of the conservation area in accordance with best
practice and guidance on the management of the historic environment.
2.3
Document review
The appraisal and management plan will be reviewed every ten years. A review should
include the following:




A survey of the conservation area and boundaries;
An assessment of whether the detailed management plans in this document have
been acted upon, including proposed enhancements;
The production of a short report detailing the findings of the survey and proposed
actions and amendments;
Public consultation on the review findings, any proposed changes and input into the
final review.
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Lake District National Park Authority: Ravenglass Conservation Area Appraisal & Management Plan
3
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Brunskill R W
Traditional Buildings in Cumbria
2002
LDNPA
Landscape Character Assessment
2007/8
The Lake District National Park Local Plan
1998
The Cumbria and Lake District Joint Structure
Plan 2001–2016
2006
The Lake District
1974
Millward R.
& Robinson A.
Ordnance Survey First Edition (1860), Second Edition (1899)
Orrell R
Around and About Ravenglass
Ravenglass Village Forum
Ravenglass Heritage Trail
2005
Ravenglass Village Forum website: www.ravenglassforum.org.uk
Ravenglass Parish Council website: www.ravenglassvillage.co.uk
Van Zeller P
Ravenglass – Roman Port to Railway Junction
2001
Watson J.
Lakeland Villages
1992
34